The Solid Wood Kitchen Cabinets team understand how many considerations there are when it comes to updating or replacing your kitchen. Our information guides are designed to offer quick and easy insight into all things related to solid wood, kitchens and cabinetry, plus other information that may interest and inspire you!

So, if you're thinking about making a purchase, or are just interested in learning a little more about the wonderful world of solid timber kitchens, please feel free to explore our extensive library.

If you would like to view all the information guides in a particular category, please use the following links:

A compendium of articles to help you choose accessories and appliances to suit your solid wood kitchen. Includes popular guides such as 'Buying Small Appliances for Oak Kitchens' and 'Buying Cooker Hobs for Solid Oak Kitchens'.

In the ‘Cabinetry’ category you will find guidance on anything and everything to do with kitchen cabinets; these articles will contain product knowledge, history, information on specific timbers and cabinet construction. This section will be updated regularly so do keep an eye out for new guides.

These questions were sent in directly by our customers, and have been answered with assistance from our in-house kitchen experts. We will be posting a new question every week, so do check back for the answers to further popular queries.

Handy hints about our services, product ranges, and much more. Our 'General' guides cover a wide range of topics, from a 'Pre-Drilling Service' article to a helpful run-down of the online ordering process entitled 'How to Order Solid Wood Kitchens'.

A selection of guides that will prove both inspirational and informative when planning your kitchen. Features useful articles such as 'How to Create a Shaker Kitchen' and 'How to Create a Farmhouse Kitchen with Solid Oak Kitchen Cabinets'.

For a full list of the Solid Wood Kitchen Cabinets information guides, please click here.

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Recent Information Guides from Solid Wood Kitchen Cabinets

Posted by admin on February 28, 2018 at 10:37 am. Filed under: General

With modern kitchens now serving a wide variety of functions in busy family homes, breakfast bars are an increasingly popular feature. Breakfast bars of all shapes and sizes have been integrated into our solid wood kitchens over the years: whether devised as part of an L-shaped worktop design; built as a standalone unit; or incorporated with a slender worktop overhang underneath which bar stools can be tucked.

Ensuring that the right weight-bearing mechanisms are in place is crucial when designing a breakfast bar, but legs need not be purely functional. Fortunately there are a wide range of supports available for your worktop, allowing you to select a style that suits your aesthetic:

Courtesy of Lumber Furniture

Hairpin Legs

With the boom of ‘modern industrial’ interior design trends, hairpin legs are now more prominent than ever. These metal supports are sleek and stylish and – thanks to their narrow prongs – prevent spaces from feeling overcrowded by furniture, even in kitchens of the most modest proportions.

Typically, hairpin legs are made from solid steel, and create a wonderfully rustic effect when paired with wooden work surfaces.

Need some help choosing the right solid wood worktop for your kitchen? Our buyers guide to wooden worktops looks at some of the options available and is a great place to start your search!

Courtesy of Worktop Express

Round Chrome Legs

A polished chrome finish is highly versatile and well-suited to almost any kitchen design, thanks to the prevalence of chrome and stainless steel fittings. This cylindrical breakfast bar leg is aesthetically-pleasing and highly robust, providing all the necessary support for your flexible working-to-dining table top.

Tempted by this table leg? The featured chrome breakfast bar leg is 870mm tall and can be purchased from (our sister supplier).

Courtesy of Houzz

Book Shelf Supports

Though these supports are not legs – exactly – shelf-style mechanisms can give added reinforcement to slimline breakfast bars and overhanging worktop. These brackets are ideal for creating a multi-functional space, allowing bar stools can be easily tucked beneath the work surface (though please note that these kinds of supports are not suitable for larger, heavier worktops).

There are a variety of supports that can be easily fitted between the underside of your breakfast bar and the side of cabinets, providing an attractive and minimalist appearance.

Courtesy of Worktop Express

Solid Oak Breakfast Bar Legs

What could be sturdier than solid wood? The ideal choice for complementing our real wood kitchens, these square-edged breakfast bar supports are made entirely of oak, and are finished with wood oil to nourish the timber and help prevent it from drying out. These breakfast bar legs are the perfect match for a solid oak worktop.

If you are a fan of real oak breakfast bar legs, you can find them on the Worktop Express website; our sister brand also offers a painted option in Farrow & Ball’s popular New White shade.

One of our beautiful customer kitchens

Leg-Free Option

When creating a casual dining space, breakfast bar legs may not always be necessary – at least not if a sufficient area of your worktop is supported by cabinetry. We often see this style of breakfast bar featured as part of a kitchen island; this leaves wall-adjacent countertops free for food preparation, whilst the dining area remains clear of clutter. If this is your preferred choice for breakfast bars, do bear in mind that any overhang of more than 35cm should be supported by at least one additional leg or weight-bearing mechanism.

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If you’re looking for tips on how to care for your kitchen cabinets, it may come as no surprise to hear that cleaning will be required to keep them in prime condition. We have put together these simple instructions which – if followed – will ensure that your solid oak kitchen cabinets look great and last for many years to come.

All our cabinets are fully sanded to a smooth finish, after which a hardwearing lacquer is applied, meaning – unless damaged or incorrectly installed – our cabinets should require little future maintenance.

To keep them beautifully clean, just follow these steps:

1) Start by removing all of your products, dinnerware and anything else that might be in the cabinet. These items will also require cleaning before being put back into the cabinet, so as not to void any of your hard work once the cabinet itself is clean.

2) Once the cabinet is empty, you will want to mix up a solution of warm, soapy water to clean the cabinets with. We suggest using a mixture of 5% liquid soap and 95% water, without the addition of any aggressive cleaning products.

3) With a slightly damp micro-fibre cloth, wipe over all surfaces of the cabinets (don’t forget tops and undersides if these units are wall-mounted). You may need to rinse the cloth between wiping individual sides if they are particularly dusty.

4) Next, use a soft micro-fibre cloth to dry the surface, paying special attention in order to follow the grain direction of the timber panels.

5) Once the cabinet surfaces are dry, you can place your items back in the cabinet and move onto the next one.

If you need to remove stains or grime from your cabinet, there are two methods that we recommend (utilising natural ingredients only).

For Surface Stains:

For removing sticky films and light stains without resorting to commercial cleaning products, a mixture of well-diluted vinegar and water should be sufficient. For an extra added boost you can also use lemon juice. Once you’ve removed the stain, be sure to follow the steps above afterwards in order to leave your cabinets in top condition.

For Ingrained Grime:

If you’re trying to remove dirt that’s been worked into the wood (commonly occurs around door handles and cupboard edges), we suggest using a mixture of baking soda and water. Mix a solution of baking soda and a small amount of water in order to create a paste. Apply as much paste as is needed to the area you are cleaning, then scrub with a fine sponge (do not use anything that has too coarse a texture), washing the sponge between cleaning of each panel. For well ingrained dirt, you may want to consider using a tooth-brush to work the baking soda into the panel before wiping the mixture away. After using this cleaning method, be sure to once again follow the 5-step instructions above in order to leave your panels looking their best.

“Is there a charge for your pre-drilling service?”

Our question this week comes from Daf in Aberystwyth, who would like more information about the option to have holes drilled for fitting cabinet doors.

QUESTION:

“I will be updating my kitchen cabinets soon and I am unsure whether I want to drill the holes for the doors myself. I have heard that you offer a pre-drilling service, so will I have to budget a bit extra for this or is it included?”

ANSWER:

Hi Daf,

Thank you for getting in touch with us – new cabinets will transform the look of your kitchen, just in time for the longer, lighter days of spring. Cabinet doors are usually quite easy to drill and put in place, but mistakes can be made so it is worth considering our pre-drilling service.

Our cabinet doors arrive undrilled to make sure they are suitable for your plans, but we can pre-drill them to ensure they are in the right place for a small charge. Pre-drilling is available from just £4 for each drawer frontal and from £6 for our cabinet doors.

If you are looking to replace your cabinets entirely, you will be pleased to know that ours are sold pre-assembled as standard. Our BLUM soft-close hinges are included when you buy cabinets complete with doors, but buy separately and the hinges will need to be ordered too.

Whilst they may not be front and centre in a solid wood kitchen, our selection of upstands and plinths are an important finishing touch that every kitchen needs in order to look complete.

We offer a range of upstands to match our collection of solid wood worktops and our choice of plinths includes a number of wood species. Alternatively they can be pre-painted to match your kitchen cabinet frontals.

Upstands

Upstands can be used on any walls adjacent to a worktop and can be used to hide the necessary expansion gap between a timber worktop and the wall. We offer a selection of upstands that complement our full range of worktops, so that they can help the worktop to blend into the overall design of the kitchen by beautifully matching your new kitchen work surface.

Wooden upstands are provided with a square finish, but a profile edge can be applied to create an additional styling detail that helps the upstand blend in with your kitchen’s theme – whether modern or traditional.

All of our solid wood upstands come in pre-sanded and oiled lengths that measure 3000mm x 80mm x 18mm, with prices starting at £25 – depending on the timber species.

To install your worktop upstands, simply:

Cut to the required size prior to attaching in place

Re-finish any rough edges or ensure they are fitted up against walls or corners

Attach to the wall using a water-resistant silicone

PLEASE NOTE: If attached directly to the worktop, wooden upstands may crack or warp if the worktop expands or contracts with changes in kitchen climate.

Plinths

Where upstands are a perfect finishing touch for worktops, plinths are an ideal accompaniment for base cabinets to finish off solid wood kitchens in style. They cover the gap underneath your base cabinets and help avoid the build-up of dust and debris behind your cabinet legs.

At Solid Wood Kitchen Cabinets we offer a wide range of plinths starting at just £40, which includes an array of oak species to match our cabinets; should you wish oak plinths can be painted in any shade of Farrow & Ball’s paints. Alternatively, our plinths are available in a variety of other hardwoods such as black American walnut or iroko – the perfect complement for our variety of worktops.

Curved Plinths

We also have available an innovative selection of curved oak plinths, which are available in either a great value veneered form, or a more luxurious solid oak construction; they can also be pre-painted should you wish.

Alternative Timbers and Stainless Steel Plinths

Our plinths are also available in a variety of hardwoods to complement our wide selection of wooden worktops. From the deep, luxurious colouring of wenge to the warm and inviting shades of cherry, these wooden plinths are a fantastic option for those looking to create a coordinated look with their worktops.

If you are designing an ultra-modern kitchen with a variety of stainless steel appliances and other metallic touches, then why not consider our stainless steel or black stainless steel plinths. With prices starting at £20, they are great value for money, highly resilient to wear and tear, and a great accessory in a contemporary kitchen.

Available Finishes

All of our wooden plinths are available in either a sanded or hard-wearing lacquered finish – depending on what kind of look you are trying to achieve. They come in a variety of lengths and can be easily cut to size to suit your kitchen’s requirements.

Each plinth comes supplied with full fitting instructions, which should be followed carefully to ensure the best end result. Our top tips for plinth installation are:

If your plinth requires assembly, ensure you put it together in a clean, dry area.

Make sure you read the instructions thoroughly before starting so you can keep the tools you require within reach

Remove any dust with a damp cloth before fixing anything in place

Purchasing solid wood kitchen cabinets from us too? All of our base cabinets are provided with specialist clips to attach plinths to the cabinet legs and maintain their position.

Note: This guide was originally published on February 6th 2015 and was updated on 15th February 2018 to include additional information.

Belfast sinks – or butler sinks, as they are sometimes known – make a stunning feature in oak kitchens. The use of traditional furniture-making materials, combined with the classic style of sink, looks simply magnificent – so much so that a fresh, white Belfast sink can often become the focal point of the room.

Belfast kitchen sinks are simple to install; if you are not hiring a kitchen fitter, this handy information guide will take you through the steps required to carry out a quick and easy installation:

THINGS TO CONSIDER

It is recommended to install the sink before fitting your worktop. If you require custom worktops with a Belfast sink cut-out, they can be purchased through our sister brand, Worktop Express.

Though some customers opt to have no worktop overhang, we recommend a 7-10mm overhang at the sides and back of the sink. This will help to prevent water spilling down the back or sides of the sink.

Don’t forget, if you haven’t purchased a Belfast sink base cabinet yet, you can find them on our Specialist Cabinets page.

BEFORE INSTALLATION

New taps will need to be installed before the sink, and old taps that are being kept will need to remain in place.

Check the existing plumbing and pipes have sufficient length to reach the sink once installed. If they do it, you may need to extend the water pipes prior to installation.

Position your Belfast sink with your worktops and cabinets before installation to check they fit.

INSTALLING YOUR BELFAST SINK

First, connect the waste kit(s) to the sink.

Place the sink in position on the cabinet.

Apply a generous amount of quality silicone around the rim of the sink, on the two sides and back edge (if you have decided to have no worktop overhang, this step can be skipped). Wipe away any excess.

Place your worktop over the sink, taking care to set it down so that it is precisely aligned with the sink, and allow the silicone to dry.

Attach your worktop to your cabinets and wall as per the manufacturer’s instructions.

Connect the waste kit(s) to the water pipes.

AFTER INSTALLATION

Clean the sink, and check that it is straight and level.

Close the plug(s) and fill the sink with water, to check that no water escapes from the waste kit(s).

Open the plug(s) and allow the water to drain, to check that no water escapes from the pipework.

“Do you provide a kitchen fitting service?”

This week we are in Portsmouth, where Shari would like to know more about the services we provide.

QUESTION:

“Do you provide a kitchen fitting service? I am ready to buy my new kitchen, but I have been unable to find information regarding this on the website.”

ANSWER:

Hi Shari,

Thank you for getting in touch – installing a kitchen can be a daunting task, so we are pleased to hear that you are thinking about this before you have yours delivered.

Currently, we do not provide a kitchen fitting service, but we do everything to ensure that our solid oak cabinets can be installed as easily as possible. All our cabinets are supplied fully assembled as standard, which means they can simply be secured into the correct space upon arrival. If you choose to fit the cabinets yourself, this will save time and make things simpler, and if you prefer to get the professionals in, this time saving service will equate to a saving in money.

We have a number of information guides that provide advice on fitting your own kitchen, so should you wish to do this yourself there is plenty of guidance on the website. We have also written about choosing the best kitchen fitter if you prefer to explore this route.

If you have any further questions or queries, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Kind regards,

The Team @ Solid Wood Kitchen Cabinets

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